[atya35mm]

Ciggavelli, congratulations on the power supply upgrades to your DAVE and the M Scaler. I’m a huge proponent of clean power in my listening chain because IMO it makes a huge difference, and is the most overlooked aspect when folks are putting their hi-fi systems together. I’m not swimming in the same deep audio gear waters as you sir, though I wouldn’t mind getting my feet a little wetter. I do use the adequately efficient Sbooster LPSU’s on my HMS/TT2 combo that are connected to the decent AudioQuest Niagara 1200 power conditioner, and which is plugged into the wall using an AQ Thunder power cable. I think if more folks thought about upgrading their power chains instead of searching for another flavour of DAC or upsampler, they’d be a lot happier with the audio gear that they already have.

I too would love to one day try the DC4, however the price point just kept me at bay for now. I have recently upgraded all my power cables to Shunyata NR series (plugged into a Isotek Aquarius) with the Delta V2 NR for the Dave and found a very noticeable difference to my sound system. All the points @Ciggavelli called out I have experienced, but to what extent is it comparable to DC4 I wouldn't be able to comment due to not having one.

So I second @bpcans that clean power makes a big difference to the system and worth looking into.

 

[xfusion]

I own a Hugo original, the very first Hugo. Is it possible to add Mscaler to the Hugo and will it gives an improvement just like to Qutest ?

 

[esmit]

I own a Hugo original, the very first Hugo. Is it possible to add Mscaler to the Hugo and will it gives an improvement just like to Qutest ?

I had one too, but money wise it is probably better to sell it and buy a TT2 (as I did, also had a TT1 after selling the Hugo) first, enjoy that and start saving for an mscaler.

 

[Malevolent]

I own a Hugo original, the very first Hugo. Is it possible to add Mscaler to the Hugo and will it gives an improvement just like to Qutest ?

I second @esmit's recommendation - I'd get a Hugo TT 2 first. The improvements you get going from a Hugo to a Hugo TT 2 should trump the performance delta between a standalone Hugo and an M Scaler + Hugo combo.

To put things into context, I have a Hugo 2, and I've recently purchased a Hugo TT 2. From the smaller sibling to its bigger brother, the enhancements are rather sizeable; I'd surmise that you'd hear an even bigger gulf in quality between the original Hugo and the Hugo TT 2.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

To put things into context, I have a Hugo 2, and I've recently purchased a Hugo TT 2. From the smaller sibling to its bigger brother, the enhancements are rather sizeable; I'd surmise that you'd hear an even bigger gulf in quality between the original Hugo and the Hugo TT 2.

Same here, I even tried to pair Hugo 2 with some $3K amps, and ended still prefer TT2 alone

 

[xfusion]

Same here, I even tried to pair Hugo 2 with some $3K amps, and ended still prefer TT2 alone

so Hugo TT2 > Hugo2 + $3K amps. waow.. is it because its DAC or its amps or being a DAC amp render better signals since there is no connector interference?

 

[alekc]

so Hugo TT2 > Hugo2 + $3K amps. waow.. is it because its DAC or its amps or being a DAC amp render better signals since there is no connector interference?

@xfusion from my experience I would say that different sound signature of those 2 dacs makes important difference in the first place. For me the step from Mojo to H2 was not a night and day and I dislike H2 signature, however the step from Mojo to HTT2 was a night and day difference and while HTT2 has a different signature than Mojo, I still love it. Secondly I guess you need to carefully select amps for pairing with H2 and TT2 considering design decision of Rob Watts unless you do not care about breaking some of his engineering achievements, introducing more noise and distortion and influence final SQ in possibly negative way. On the other hand I know people who add a lot of distortion and noise to HTT2 using particular tube amps in their setups and are in love of final result.

 

[GreenBow]

Don't you need isolation in the power supplies to get the WAVE cables working. I thought I understood that if you block noise via the coaxials, it can pass via mains supply.

Am just asking, and not remarking on the comment I quoted below. I quoted that for antoerh reason.

Hi to everyone,
I was brave enough ectually to buy Wave Storm Reference cables for my setup.
I realy did that based on reviews i have read and afcourse out of curiosity as i own full setup from chord and was eager to finnish that with best BNC cables. And its not secret that Wave cables there on my target.

Today i received them and plugged.

And you know what - this upgrade is not something that you should search for, or compare to stock over and over. Difference is instant and tangible.

I can describe that in this way:
1) much more weight and dynamics in every aspect (bass, voicing , drums, guitars)
2) dead silent background which reveals a lot of nuances and details as if music plays in vacuum or space.
3) high freq are noticibly smoother
4) you can now start playing very very loud.
5) you can now start playing very very quaetly and you hear everything with great dynamics and layers

Now back to examples. Paul Simons Graceland, with STORM sounds as its now not viny rip style lightweight bright sound recording (on Qobuz) but like dynamic CD recording.

Another thing which is shocking actually confirms what Rob Watts says that RFI kills deph perception. And as a result with Wave Storm every and i mean every recording sounds not so wide and more centric and deeper. At first this change in deph actually got my head sick after 5 or 6 songs. I mean i literally had to put away headphones as my brain was tired of this drastic switch in deph. Now as i listen more i get used to this sound and boy i like it.

Thing to notice, now TT2 crossfed level 1-2 looks like its almost not working! I understand becouse all sound has increased deph, crossfeed efect is very very minimal. And this is becouse with Wave Storm every music has narrower soundstage but very very deep.

All i can say is that for me its very very worth product. It changes sound signature in very enjoybale way.

Thanks in the first place for Chord products and @Triode User , for this addon.

Even down at the lower end of equipment listening to poorer sound equipment can cause sick-feeling. ... I recently listened a lot to Hugo 2 one night. Then out of curiousity listened to my Sony ZX300 DAP, which is reviewed as a little soft in timing. After the timing of the Hugo 2 over a long listening, the timing of Sony DAP made me feel sea-sick. (Not quite sure how to put it into words. Either music-stuff wasn't where I was expecting it. Or the tightness of the Hugo 2 was too addictive. Maybe something else - I don't know.)

Funnily enough though, when listening to the Sony ZX300 DAP by itself, it's a fine DAP.

 

[griff500]

Don't you need isolation in the power supplies to get the WAVE cables working. I thought I understood that if you block noise via the coaxials, it can pass via mains supply.

Those seem like two separate issues. WAVE cables improve things. Improving the power supply to components improves things. Everything together is even better.

 

[The Jester]

Interesting question, the wave cables are an effective way of reducing the high frequency RF loop due to the carefully chosen and placed ferrites but also use top quality cable and terminations, now with some of the top quality (and top dollar) linear PSU’s do they also effectively minimise the RF loop alone in their isolation from the mains supply or still need the ferrited cables as well ?

 

[Vyyy]

Don't you need isolation in the power supplies to get the WAVE cables working. I thought I understood that if you block noise via the coaxials, it can pass via mains supply.

Am just asking, and not remarking on the comment I quoted below. I quoted that for antoerh reason.




Even down at the lower end of equipment listening to poorer sound equipment can cause sick-feeling. ... I recently listened a lot to Hugo 2 one night. Then out of curiousity listened to my Sony ZX300 DAP, which is reviewed as a little soft in timing. After the timing of the Hugo 2 over a long listening, the timing of Sony DAP made me feel sea-sick. (Not quite sure how to put it into words. Either music-stuff wasn't where I was expecting it. Or the tightness of the Hugo 2 was too addictive. Maybe something else - I don't know.)

Funnily enough though, when listening to the Sony ZX300 DAP by itself, it's a fine DAP.

I meant that Wave gave very good perception of depth in the recordings. And that is not a subtle change, my ears and brain had to adapt. Becouse sound projecting into your ears was different and in a good way. Now i enjoy it so much. I tried to go back to stock and yet indeed sound flattens.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

so Hugo TT2 > Hugo2 + $3K amps. waow.. is it because its DAC or its amps or being a DAC amp render better signals since there is no connector interference?

Well in my case with Diana Phi, then my answer is yes.

I think the DAC quality in TT2 is clearly few steps up from Hugo 2, especially in term of being natural, fluid, with bigger imaging. Bonus part is TT2 has plenty power in output stage that I can saving up amplifier budget for more headphones.

 

[Malevolent]

Well in my case with Diana Phi, then my answer is yes.

I think the DAC quality in TT2 is clearly few steps up from Hugo 2, especially in term of being natural, fluid, with bigger imaging. Bonus part is TT2 has plenty power in output stage that I can saving up amplifier budget for more headphones.

As a standalone DAC and amplifier, the Hugo TT 2's headphone outputs produce a fairly good amount of power to drive most headphones, I'd say. Adding an external amplifier will help to color the sound to your liking, but it's fairly obvious that the TT 2 was conceived as an all-in-one, all-you-need device.

 

[krt230]

So I just received the mScaler and upon connecting it I'm having a few issues.

PC > mScaler > Silver Dragon BNC > Hugo TT2 > Woo Audio WA33 > Susvara

The output on the Hugo TT2 keeps changing between 176 and 192 during a song. Each time it changes the sound drops. This happens about once every 10 seconds. Also, there is quite a lot of static in in the sound now. And even if those things weren't happening, the sound is very flat - it sounds worse than before the purchase of the mScaler.

Any advice?

mScaler lights are Input white and OP SR white.

Thanks for any help. This has been a very frustrating setup so far.

 

[genefruit]

So I just received the mScaler and upon connecting it I'm having a few issues.

PC > mScaler > Silver Dragon BNC > Hugo TT2 > Woo Audio WA33 > Susvara

The output on the Hugo TT2 keeps changing between 176 and 192 during a song. Each time it changes the sound drops. This happens about once every 10 seconds. Also, there is quite a lot of static in in the sound now. And even if those things weren't happening, the sound is very flat - it sounds worse than before the purchase of the mScaler.

Any advice?

mScaler lights are Input white and OP SR white.

Thanks for any help. This has been a very frustrating setup so far.

Lots of questions to pin this down. PC - windows? OSX? Other? Playback software? Tried the stock cables with the same result?

first take is the cables aren’t attached correctly. When playing back what color is the DX OP light?